AT&T Expands Smart Cities Offerings with New Structure Monitoring Solution for U.S. Railways and Roadways

For many, a new year ushers in a new set of resolutions. AT&T is resolved to continue developing and delivering Internet of Things solutions to help make our cities and communities smarter, safer and more efficient. We’re currently testing a new structure monitoring solution that will help improve the safety of our roadways and railways.

This comes in addition to our smart cities work with several U.S. spotlight cities and our recently launched digital infrastructure solution.

U.S. infrastructure is aging and in disrepair. Almost half of U.S. bridges are more than 50 years old.1 Organizations normally rely on visual inspections to assess the state of our roadways and railways. Since many are in remote locations, it is difficult to regularly assess. And many of the remote monitoring alternatives use older technology solutions that are bulky and not suited for the long-term.

We’re set to deliver a solution so teams can monitor structural and environmental factors remotely in near real time.

“Safety is a top concern of citizens and cities alike. This concern extends beyond the realm of crime and natural disasters. It also includes the safety of our infrastructure,” said Mike Zeto, general manager, AT&T Smart Cities. “We’re pleased to test this solution, which will allow for smart infrastructure analysis and monitoring.

We launched our Smart Cities organization in the fall of 2015. Since then, we’ve worked closely with cities and their citizens to better understand key challenges and help them create impactful solutions. We’ve formed strategic alliances with technology companies, the developer community and other leading organizations. An example of this collaboration is our spotlight city program. It’s a unique initiative that tests our smart cities framework in select cities and municipalities across the country.

Atlanta: The City of Atlanta was one of the first cities to join our spotlight city program. Our close collaboration with city leaders is helping to bring Atlanta’s smart cities vision to life. Utilizing AT&T Digital Infrastructure with Current, powered by GE’s CityIQTM, we are working with the local utility to transform the city's existing lighting infrastructure into a sensor-enabled data network that will accelerate the digital era of urban development. To date, two hundred sensors have been added to previously installed LED streetlights encompassing key areas in the city. The sensors will help Atlanta address issues such as traffic flow, parking optimization and gunshot detection, and create a platform for citizen engagement. We are also part of a broader effort to help the city strategically address road safety challenges as part of their Smart Corridor project. From innovative programs like the Atlanta Civic Coding Competition to our work with the IoT.ATL initiative, our commitment to helping Atlanta become one of the first true smart cities remains strong.

Dallas: We teamed with the Dallas Innovation Alliance and other technology leaders in the city to create a living lab. The solution addresses key challenges like sustainability and parking. To make the city’s historic West End more sustainable, the city installed 22 new smart lighting solutions using connected LED and intelligent controls. The new lighting used 35% less energy in its first 90 days.

“A smart city works to solve city problems, conserve resources and create an inclusive and prosperous city. The technology itself isn’t enough without measurable insights that come from data,” said Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings. “The Living Lab from AT&T and the Dallas Innovation Alliance provides a great platform to test and share results of projects that could positively impact Dallas citizens. We look forward to continued progress in creating a truly smart city for all of Dallas.”

Montgomery County: Montgomery County Maryland has a large commuter population. Together with some of our strategic alliance members, we worked with them to enhance ridership through the use of technology, such as informing the public about transit time delays in real-time and improving the riders’ experience. To address these issues, Wi-Fi was installed on targeted buses and bus shelters. Early research suggests the county will see increased ridership.

Mexico: Mexico City’s Ministry of Economic Development recently signed an agreement with us to run an Internet of Things market pilot. This initiative, part of SEDECO’s “Program to Promote and Improve Public Markets in Mexico City,” reaffirms their interest in Smart Cities projects that are designed to promote sustainable development and effective management by using technology and connectivity.

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